“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the sequel to “Beetlejuice,” stays true to the style of its 1988 prequel film. Viewers get a newly reimagined view of the classic “Beetlejuice” with a diverse set of new and original actors.
Winona Ryder reprises her role as Lydia Deetz. Her acting style was similar to her performance in the original, but she shows a little more control as a more seasoned actress.
Jenna Ortega plays Astrid Deetz, Lydia’s daughter. Throughout the movie, Astrid goes on an emotional journey while in a rebellious stage with Lydia. The conflict of the film ultimately brings them closer in the end.
Ortega’s performance resembles a lot of the spunky attitude that Ryder brought in her role as Lydia in the original “Beetlejuice.”
Michael Keaton plays his original character, Beetlejuice. He stays true to his original acting style but doesn’t play as the sole antagonist. Beetlejuice even helps with Lydia’s situation during the movie, providing help in the afterlife.
Catherine O’Hara returns in her original role as Delia Deetz, the artistic, perfectionist stepmother. Delia has become fully immersed in her artistic career, making money with some famous pieces of artwork. She appears more subdued in this film than in the original, as she doesn’t have the direction of her late husband Charles Deetz, played by Jeffrey Jones in the original Beetlejuice. While we don’t technically see Charles, the movie teases his character’s fate in the afterlife.
Willem Dafoe plays Wolf Jackson, the head of an afterlife police force. His acting style in this film is a lot more comical than his typical serious roles that audiences are accustomed to. In Wolf Jackson’s life among the living, he was just an actor who played a detective, a fact that adds to his comical actions throughout the movie.
Danny DeVito also stars in the movie as the janitor. DeVito brought a particularly weird factor to his character. His time as the janitor in the film is short, but it is not insignificant, as he unknowingly releases one of the main antagonists of the film.
Monica Bellucci plays Delores, Beetlejuice’s estranged ex-wife from before he became a demon, a role that suits Bellucci well.
Jeremy, who is played by Arthur Conti, evokes in viewers a sense of conflict and uncertainty about his character throughout the film. Ortega’s character Astrid incidentally runs into Jeremy in his treehouse after she crashes her bike. They become love interests, with Jeremy trying to use Astrid to his benefit. Conti’s acting style overall draws viewers to initially believe his character’s act, before later revealing his true intentions.
Tim Burton’s typical cinematic flair helped propel the narrative of the story. The style of the opening credits is the same as that of the original film. The afterlife waiting room stuck true to its roots; each time a main character visited it, a variety of newly deceased people would be introduced.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” was produced with modern editing equipment but still included the same style sets and elements as its prequel. Eagle-eyed viewers can see easter eggs and elements from the original movie, such as the giant sandworm and some of Delia’s artwork.
Viewers also get a new cover of “Day-O” from The Sylvia Young Theater School Choir. While this rendition was very well performed, I wish the producers would have done it in the same style as the original movie. It would have been nice to see some characters dancing to the song just like they were under Beetlejuice’s influence like the original movie.
Much like the original movie, there was a scene in the film where everyone sang under the power of Beetlejuice. The song was “MacArthur Park” by Richard Harris, which fit the scene it was in, but it felt like there could have been a stronger song choice.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” overall was a great watch. It provided a new look to an innovative and classic film with nostalgia expertly sprinkled throughout. The story picked right up where it left off in 1988, making its 36-year wait worth it.
